Turtle Cupcakes Recipes

Steps:

• For the tails: Place the small green gumdrops on the work surface standing upright. Cut each gumdrop in half by cutting straight down with a sharp knife.
• To assemble: Frost each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons buttercream. Place the green sanding sugar in a small bowl. Invert each cupcake into the sugar and press gently to adhere.
• Stick a green jelly bean straight into the frosting for the head. Using a #2 round piping tip, pipe on 2 buttercream eyes. Then dip a toothpick into the black or brown food coloring gel and create the pupils for the eyes. Push the flippers into the edges of the cupcake frosting. Attach a half gumdrop tail between the back legs. Pipe a little frosting onto 7 green and 7 brown candies before gently pressing them into the frosting on the "back" of each turtle to make the shell. Repeat steps for all cupcakes.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, buttermilk, oil and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, 30 minutes.
• In 3-quart saucepan, melt caramels with whipping cream over low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Cool 5 minutes. Spoon mixture into medium resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut off tiny corner of bag. Twist bag above frosting. To fill cupcakes, insert tip of plastic bag halfway into cupcake center and squeeze until you see caramel start to surface.
• Frost cupcakes with frosting; drizzle with remaining caramel. Sprinkle with pecans and sea salt.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In small bowl, mix vanilla frosting and green food color until desired shade. Place 1/4 cup green frosting and 1/4 cup chocolate frosting in separate small resealable plastic freezer bags; seal bags. Cut small tip from corner of each bag; set aside.
• On each of 2 large serving trays, arrange 12 cupcakes as shown in diagram. Frost shell of one turtle with chocolate frosting. Frost head and feet with green frosting. (Push cupcakes together slightly to frost entire turtle, not just individual cupcakes.) Pipe green frosting on chocolate shell to create turtle design. Add 2 candies for eyes; add pupils using chocolate frosting. Add nostrils with chocolate frosting or miniature chocolate candies. Add red string licorice for mouth (trimming to fit) and green licorice for tail.
• Frost remaining cupcakes with green frosting for shell and chocolate frosting for head and feet. Pipe chocolate frosting on green shell to create turtle design. Add 2 candies for eyes; add pupils using chocolate frosting. Add nostrils with green frosting or miniature chocolate candies. Add red string licorice for mouth (trimming to fit) and green licorice for tail. Store loosely covered.